303
.300 member
Reged: 15/03/05
Posts: 136
Loc: west retreat
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i am considering a new rifle for pig and deer hunting and i was wondering what people thought of these two calibers for this type of hunting
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tunofun
.300 member
Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 120
Loc: Darwin, NT, Australia
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I talk to first time gun buyers all the time about this, the calibre for pigs and or deer. Most of the time the .30-06 comes up and the rest of the time they either want a 300WSM or a .338WM. In all reality you don't need that much 'gun' for pigs and deer in Aust, exempting all but the biggest Sambar. I always recommend the .308WIN because it is hell easy to get ammo for, cheap, an abundance of rifles made chambered for it, accurate, basic to reload and overall almost as good as the .30-06 with it lagging only a couple hundred ft-lb's and fps behind when using 150-180gr projectiles. But, without the extra recoil, noise and expense.
If you wanna shoot pigs from long range, then the .338 is the go, but for scrub work you will find the recoil and muzzle blast to be uncomfortable when firing multiple shots.
The biggest boar I have ever seen was shot by a mate and his .243WIN and it went down just as quick as the 80kg one I shot with my 458WM (I was after buff!).
Get the rifle you shoot the best that can do the job, not the one with the coolest chambering! My $0.02!
Have a good one!
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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
Sigmund Freud -- General Introduction to Psychoanalysis
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303
.300 member
Reged: 15/03/05
Posts: 136
Loc: west retreat
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i was orginaly going to buy a 303 what do u think about this caliber
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jro45
.300 member
Reged: 25/12/03
Posts: 192
Loc: DE, USA
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I shot my boar with my 7mm mag 160gr bullet. Shot him running acrost a field. He was running full boar!
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Marrakai
.416 member
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3700
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
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In reply to:
orginaly going to buy a 303 what do u think about this caliber
That'd be my pick for a light-medium bore too, specially with the 215-gr bullet, but some people here think I'm just an ol'fart. WSMs and SSMs don't do a thing for me, and RUM is something you drink!
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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au
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Metswedi
.300 member
Reged: 20/01/05
Posts: 156
Loc: Yorks. England
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Marrakai, if favouring .303 and especially the 215 Grn load makes you an old fart, then let's both raise a glass of RUM to ol' farts!! Wonderful calibre!!
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Perfer et obdura!
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Oldsarge
.300 member
Reged: 07/02/05
Posts: 180
Loc: SoCal Borderlands
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Up with ol'farts! With a .303 and a .404 you don't need anything else.
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Sarge
Holland's .375: One Planet, One Rifle!
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Marrakai
.416 member
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3700
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
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...unless its a .505!
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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au
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303
.300 member
Reged: 15/03/05
Posts: 136
Loc: west retreat
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thanks for your input i will now buy my first and really my only choice the no4 mk2 303 and you dont have to be old to like the 303 i think they are a great caliber
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303
.300 member
Reged: 15/03/05
Posts: 136
Loc: west retreat
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what is a 404 i have never heard of it
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Metswedi
.300 member
Reged: 20/01/05
Posts: 156
Loc: Yorks. England
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404 Jeffery throws a 400grn bullet at 2125 in its original cordite loading. The bolt action version of the 450/400 cartridge that was generally reckoned to be about as close to an "all round rifle" as possible, if such a thing exists.
An alternative to costly double rifles handling the 450/400. It's a superb Dangerous game cartridge.
Heavy bullet, moderate velocity, something I've come to love. Forget all your hyper velocity, light bullet stuff, these cartridges with heavy bullets and moderate velocities have been getting the job done for almost a century and in some cases more ( e.g. the .303 ). Oldsarge has got it spot on.
I dabbled in the "Every last foot per second" arena and learned that very few loads were as effective as a good heavy bullet at moderate velocity. My first red hind was shot with a Charger Loading Lee-Enfield ( Long LEE ), using a 174 grn Hornady round nose soft point at approx 2300fps. She never knew what hit her, instant kill and no meat damage.
My first sporting rifle was a Parker Hale modified No4. Sporting stock and cut down barrel with a modified 5 shot mag. They sold new for around £50. Beautiful rifle and did tremendous work for me using the Kynoch 174grn load ( I think the components were made by Norma ). Regret ever selling that. I own a No4 Mk1 as well as a Mk3 SMLE and an M1910 Ross, wish I could get another Parker Hale to complete the collection. Go ahead with your Mk2 No4 and enjoy, you'll never regret the purchase. If you can find a good .303 sporter at the right price, grab it, you'll never look back.
By the way you are right you don't need to be old to enjoy the .303, I started at 13! I'm 46 now and don't consider that old, I'll leave you guys to debate the fart bit!!!
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Perfer et obdura!
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Gibbs505
.333 member
Reged: 09/08/03
Posts: 442
Loc: BC, Canada
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In reply to:
unless its a .505!
DEFINETLY 
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So I can't spell, so what?
Those who beat their swords into ploughshares, will plough for those who don't!
Those who fail to learn from history will be doomed to repeat it
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tunofun
.300 member
Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 120
Loc: Darwin, NT, Australia
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The .303 is definetly a perennial favorite with aussie hunters, and for good reason! I don't like the old mil ammo, bullet doesn't do any damage, 174 or 215gr Woodleighs kick ass though!
If you are going to reload, you may want to have the chamber reamed out to .303 Epps which is basically the .303 Improved, your brass will last heaps heaps longer and you get a bit more power too! Something to think about...
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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
Sigmund Freud -- General Introduction to Psychoanalysis
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siacci
.224 member
Reged: 14/01/06
Posts: 3
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My brother bought a .308 when I bought my 30-06 and the difference between them killing Sambar is the same. As a loader I should have got a .308 as well because they use less powder, have a shorter action and do the same job. As for the .303, I have one and love it. I have shot fallow with it and it is great to handle. Factory ammo is a bit dear when compared to a .308 or 30-06 and bullet choice is limited. I put a Ramline synthetic stock on my 1917 BSA to drop the weight a bit but it still shoots 1" groups at 100m.
Dave
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allenday
.333 member
Reged: 18/04/04
Posts: 318
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For deer and pigs, you simply don't need anything other than a good 30-06, 308 Win., 303, 318, 404, etc.
With that said, I do consider the 338 Win. Mag. to be even more versatile than the 30-06 is, and the 338 has become my favorite all-around cartridge. It'll do all that the 30-06 will do, shoot just as flat as the '06 does, yet take in a lot more territory at the large end of the big game scale as a bonus.
I've take a great many Texas whitetails and hogs with the 210 Nosler out of my 338 Win. Mag., and by no means is it too big for the job. It fact, the kills have been instantaneous, and the meat damage minimal. And when I hunt elk here in Oregon, the 338 Win. Mag. has put those bulls down with a lot more authority that the 30-06 has. The only downside to the 338 versus the '06 is recoil.
But you Australians are a hardy race, and I doubt the difference in recoil will make any difference to you....... 
AD
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40614
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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The old .318 Westley Richards and the .333 Jeffrey were around the bore size of a modern .338. They used to be great small to medium sized cartridges for plains game or bigger. Personally I have always regarded a good cartridge in that sort of bore size the ideal all-round medium game world cartridge.
Having said that I have a .30-06! A .30-06 will handle all game below buffalo in Australia.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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